The captured North Korean military asked to be handed over to South Korea
3 November 07:15
Captured North Korean soldiers who took part in hostilities against Ukraine on the side of Russian troops have asked to be transferred to South Korea.
According to AFP , citing the South Korean human rights organization Gyeore-eol Nation United, the request was made during an interview for a documentary. The recording was made on October 28 in Kyiv, where two prisoners of war from the DPRK are currently being held. One of them had already made a similar request earlier, during a visit to the Ukrainian capital by a representative of the Republic of Korea’s parliament in February, human rights activists said, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The South Korean authorities and intelligence services have repeatedly stated that repatriation for DPRK military personnel actually means certain death. Deputy of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Yoo Yong-weon noted that DPRK soldiers are ordered to commit suicide in order not to be captured, so being sent back would be a death sentence for them.
According to the intelligence services of the Republic of Korea and the West, about 10,000 DPRK soldiers could be sent to the war against Ukraine in 2024. As AFP reminds us, in September, South Korean intelligence reported that about two thousand North Korean soldiers deployed to support Russian forces were killed in action.
At the end of October, the UK Ministry of Defense reported that DPRK servicemen were helping Russian troops use multiple launch rocket systems against Ukrainian positions in Sumy region. London noted that although the DPRK troops had previously conducted tactical operations in the Kursk region, their main role was infantry service.
